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Frequently Asked Questions

• When do I need to hire a Professional Engineer?
  • At the beginning of a new construction project that has the potential to impact public safety. 
  • When you plan to build a new house.
  • When you plan to build a new parking lot.
  • When you subdivide property or plan to develop a piece of real estate.
  • When you need a flood certificate or information about flood zones.
  • When required by the City, County or State for site development permits.
• I know that I need to hire an engineer, what is the right kind of engineer for my project?
  • Structural Engineers are hired to analyze and design retaining walls, foundations, roof systems, trusses, wind load analysis.
  • Geotechnical Engineers are hired to analyze soil conditions, foundation design, water table impacts, soil borings, and percolation tests.
  • General Civil Engineers are hired to analyze drainage impacts from storm runoff, potable water and sewer utilities, roadway design, stormwater ponds, FEMA / FIRM flood certificates, local government development approvals, ACOE dredge and fill permits, EPA SWPPP approvals, and State ERP approvals.
• I have a piece of land that I would like to develop. What is my first step?
  • Confirm that you own or control (by purchase contract) the land that you want to develop.
  • Define your development idea and project goals including timing and financial goals.
  • Gather information about your land. Collect and copy all of the available records related to the parcel of land.  Include copies of surveys, studies, and photos related to the parcel. Review and collect copies of the publically available GIS information related to the parcel.
  • Meet with your local building or “growth management” department to discuss your ideas to determine if you are headed in the right direction.
  • Meet with a Civil Engineer to discuss, feasibility, costs, timeframes, and process. 
• How do I know if my idea to develop my property is feasible?
  • Hiring a Professional Civil Engineer with experience in land development is a great first step to investigate project feasibility.
  • Project feasibility takes many forms.
    • Regulatory Feasibility – is the work permittable? 
    • Financial Feasibility – can the project be completed within the budget?
    • Timeline Feasible – can the project be completed within a defined and reasonable timeframe?
• How can I understand the economic feasibility of my development project?
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  • Every project should include an economic feasibility analysis. There are a number of components affecting economic feasibility of the project. 
  • Civil Engineering consultants should provide estimates of construction costs, estimates of design, permitting and construction timelines, and opinions related to permit feasibility.
  • Real estate consultants should provide opinions related to the strength of the real estate market and the marketability and commercial viability of your proposed development idea.
  • Financial professionals should provide guidance related to the cost of bank funding or other financing alternatives including the development of a pro forma for the project.
  • Feasibility Studies - Hiring an experienced engineering professional engineer to prepare a feasibility study will provide you the information you need to make informed decisions regarding your project. A project should be studied and determined to be economically feasible and permit feasible before significant financial investments are made in the project. 
     
• What do I need to start construction on a project?
  • Typically, an Environmental Management Permit or an Environmental Resource Permit is required to begin site construction.
  • Typically, a Building Permit is required to begin the construction of a new building. 
• How do I secure a certificate of occupancy?
  • After the construction is completed and before you move-in to your new development project, you are required to confirm with local government that your project is completed in accordance with the approved plans and permits.
  • When you believe that you are finished with the construction, contact the inspectors for a final inspection and secure the “punch list” of items to be completed.
• Who can help prepare the submittals and final certifications to complete a project?
  • The Civil Engineer and the Project Surveyor can prepare the as-built surveys and the as-built certifications required to achieve the final local government signoff for a completed project.
  • The work generally takes 10 working days to complete, so consider authorizing the work two weeks before you need the approvals.
• How do I know the environmental impacts of my project?
  • Civil Engineers with experience in Land Development Consulting are familiar with local, state and federal environmental regulations.
  • The early phase of every project includes the mapping of environmental features within the adjacent to the project site.
  • When a conceptual site design is proposed, an assessment of environmental impacts is prepared.
  • Avoidance and minimization of environmental impacts is generally the preferred development approach.
• What happens when my project plans need to be revised?
  • Civil Engineers and Surveyors that use a computerized drafting system (AutoCAD) can easily make revision to design drawings.  
  • Depending on the extent of the revisions, the revised plans may require additional governmental review. 
• What is a boundary survey and when do you need one?
  • Boundary Surveys are required to buy or sell a tract of land.
  • The Boundary Survey provides an accurate measure of the length and location of property lines and the acreage of the property.
  • The boundary survey identifies visible improvements and identified the location of any visible encroachments onto the property including fences, driveways and overhead utilities.
• What is an ALTA survey?
  • ALTA Surveys are Boundary Surveys with additional Title information provided on the document.
  • ALTA Surveys are a complete communication of the impact of easements and other recorded encumbrances which affect the property.
• Are land surveys public record?
  • Most surveys are not public record.
  • Surveys may be recorded as a part of a buy/sell transaction, but are not typically recorded.
  • Official Records are maintained by the Clerk’s Office in each county.
  • OR Book and Page Numbers are generally assigned to recorded easements and easement legal descriptions.
• What are Builder Services?
  • Builders need to hire a Land Surveyor to assure that the proposed house or building is correctly situated on a lot.
  • A Land Surveyor will visit a new home site at least 5 times.
  • A Boundary Survey for the purchase of the lot including the flagging of the property corners.
  • Construction Stakeout for the clearing limits.
  • Foundation Stakeout marking the proposed building foundation corners.
  • A Foundation Survey of the freshly poured foundation, satisfying the bank lending requirements by assuring the new foundation is in the right place before the rest of the house is built. 
  • A Final Survey of the finished residential home, driveways, sidewalks and improvements. This survey is used to secure permanent mortgage financing.
• Is an elevation certificate required for a flood insurance?
  • A Civil Engineer or a Land Surveyor must certify whether a property is located within a regulated flood plain.  If the property is in or near a flood plain an elevation certificate is required to assure the proposed floor elevation is sufficiently high.
  • The cost of an elevation certificate varies by individual parcel circumstance, but costs generally range from $250 to $15000.
• Why do I need a legal description and sketch?
  • Parcels of land have certain legal rights or encumbrances connected to them.
  • A Legal Description and Sketch shows and explains the exact location and size of the land area impacted by those legal rights or encumbrances.
  • Typically, a Legal and Sketch are attached to a written easement document prepared by an attorney.
  • Easements may address access rights, permission to install and maintain utility lines, or permission to drain stormwater across a parcel.
  • Understanding the Legal Descriptions and Sketches for easements that impact your property is important knowledge for every property owner.